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BULLETIN  OF 
ILLINOIS  COAL  MINING  INVESTIGATIONS 

CO-OPERATIVE  AGREEMENT 

Issued  bi-monthly 
VOL.  I  May,  1915  No.  7 

State  Geological  Survey 

Department  of  Mining  Engineering,  University  of  Illinois 

U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines 


BULLETIN    12 

Coal  Mining  Practice 

IN 

District  IV 


BY 
S.   O.  ANDROS 

(Field  Work  by  S.  O.  Andros.  C.  M.  Young,  and  J.  J.  Rutladee) 


Published  by 

University  of  Illinois 

Urbana,  Illinois 


[Entered   as  second-class  matter  June   1,    1914,  at  the   Post  Office  at  Urbana,   111.,  under  the 

Act  of  Aug.  24,  1914.] 


The  Forty-seventh  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
with  a  view  of  conserving  the  lives  of  the  mine  workers  and  the 
mineral  resources  of  the  State,  authorized  an  investigation  of  the 
coal  resources  and  mining  practices  of  Illinois  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  Mining  Engineering  of  the  University  of  Illinois  and  the 
State  Geological  Survey  in  co-operation  with  the  United  States 
Bureau  of  Mines.  A  co-operative  agreement  was  approved  by 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  by  representatives  of  the  State 
of  Illinois. 

The  direction  of  this  investigation  is  vested  in  the  Director 
of  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Mines,  the  Director  of  the  State 
Geological  Survey,  and  the  Head  of  the  Department  of  Mining 
Engineering,  University  of  Illinois,  who  jointly  determine  the 
methods  to  be  employed  in  the  conduct  of  the  work  and  exercise 
general  editorial  supervision  over  the  publication  of  the  results, 
but  each  party  to  the  agreement  directs  the  work  of  its  agents 
in  carrying  on  the  investigation  thus  mutually  agreed  on. 

The  reports  of  the  investigation  are  issued  in  the  form  of 
bulletins,  either  by  the  State  Geological  Survey,  the  Depart- 
ment of  Mining  Engineering,  University  of  Illinois,  or  the 
United  States  Bureau  of  Mines.  For  copies  of  the  bulletins 
issued  by  the  State  and  for  information  about  the  work,  address 
Coal  Mining  Investigations,  University  of  Illinois,  Urbana,  111. 
For  bulletins  issued  by  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Mines,  ad- 
dress Director,  United  States  Bureau  of  Mines,  Washington, 
D.  C. 


3  3051  00006  3580 


ILLINOIS 

COAL  MINING  INVESTIGATIONS 

CO-OPERATIVE  AGREEMENT 

Issued  bi-monthly 


State  Geological  Survey 
Department  of  Mining  Engineering,  University  of  Illinois 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines 


BULLETIN  12 

Coal  Mining  Practice 

IN 

District  IV 


BY 


S.   O.   ANDROS 

(Field  Work  by  S.  O.  Andros,  C.  M.  Young  and  J.  J.  Rutledee) 


Urbana 

University  of  Illinois 

1915 


1915 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction   7 

Description  of  coal  scam 15 

Mining  practice 19 

Ventilation    .  30 

Blasting  , 36 

Timbering  39 

Haulage    45 

Moisting 51 

Preparation   of  coal 53 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Fig. 

1. 

Fig. 

2. 

Fig. 

3. 

Fig. 

4. 

Fig. 

5. 

Fig. 

6. 

Fig. 

7. 

Fig. 

8. 

Fig. 

9. 

Fig. 

10. 

Fig. 

i  l. 

Fig. 

12. 

Fig. 

J  3. 

Fig. 

14. 

Fig. 

15. 

Fig. 

16. 

Fig. 

17. 

Fig. 

18. 

Fig. 

19. 

Fig. 

20. 

Fig. 

21. 

Fig. 

22. 

Fig. 

23. 

PAGE 

Map   showing   area    (shaded)    of   District   IV Frontispiece 

Copy   of  Joliet's  map  made  in    1674 9 

Copy   of  Marquette's  map  published  by  Thevenot,    1681 10 

Typical   clay  vein i 16 

Displacement    due    to    horizontal    movement 17 

Typical     block    room-and-pillar    mine 22 

Wing-room   turned   to   avoid   roll i 23 

Rock    dump    at    longwall    mine 25 

Photograph    of    underground    refuge    chamber 27 

Sketch   of  underground   refuge   chamber 29 

Stopping  built   of   Pyrobar  block.. .. 31 

Pyrobar    block   showing  core   holes 32 

Fire-seal    repaired    with    Pyrobar...: 34 

Concrete    overcast , 35 

Typical    method    of    placing    shots    after    undercutting 38 

Entry    sixteen    feet   wide    without    timber 39 

Three-piece     entry     set .< 40 

Crossbar    set    in    hitches    in    ribs 41 

Steel    I-beams    and   concrete   at   bottom ■. 42 

First   gasoline    mine-locomotive    in   Illinois 45 

Parting    at    mouth    of    room-entry 48 

Tipple   designed  for   local  trade   and  shipping 54 

Typical    surface    plant    of    shipping    mine 56 


TABLES 


NO.  PAGE 

1.  General   data   by   counties   for   the   year   ended   June    30,    1912 12 

2.  Comparative  statistics  for  District  IV  and  the  State  for  the  year  ended  June  30,.  1912  14 

3.  Analysis   of  No.   S   coal   in   District  IV 15 

4.  Dimensions   of  workings   in   feet 20 

5.  Per  capita   production   of  coal 26 

6.  Tonnage   per   fatal  and  non-fatal  accident 27 

7.  Causes  of  accident  to  employees 22 

8.  Pressures  developed  by  dust  of  face  samples  in  explosibility  apparatus 30 

9.  Data  relative   to   ventilation 33 

10.  Blasting  data '. 37 

11.  Data  concerning  props  in  rooms 44 

12.  Comparison  for  each  district  of  number  of  props  used   in   rooms      44 

13.  Ton    mileage    of    locomotives 46 

14.  Amount   of  air  required   for  ventilation    with   various   sizes  of   gasoline   locomotives  47 

15.  Data    relative   to   underground    haulage 50 

16.  Hoisting  data  52 

17.  Preparation  of  coal  for  market 55 

18.  Surface    plant    equipment..... 57 


)l-(.l.» 


Fig.   1.     Map  showing  area  (shaded;  ol  JJistrict  iV. 


BULLETIN  OF 

ILLINOIS  COAL  MINING  INVESTIGATIONS 

COOPERATIVE  AGREEMENT 

Issued  bi-monthly 
VOL.  I  No.   7 

COAL  MINING  PRACTICE  IN  DISTRICT  IV 

By  S.   O.   ANDROS 

Field  work  by  S.  O.  Andros,  C  M.  Young,  and  J.  J.  Rutledge 


INTRODUCTION 

District  IV  of  the  Illinois  Coal  Mining  Investigations  as 
shown  in  fig.  1,  includes  all  mines  in  seam  5  of  the  Illinois  Geo- 
logical Survey  correlation  operating  in  ('ass,  DeWitt,  Fulton, 
Knox,  Logan,  Macon,  Mason,  McLean,  Menard,  Peoria,  Sanga- 
mon, Schuyler,  Tazewell,  and  Woodford  Counties. 

A  detailed  description  of  the  districts  into  which  the  State 
has  been  divided  and  the  method  of  collecting  the  data  upon 
which  this  report  is  based  are  contained  in  Bulletin  1,  "A  Pre- 
liminary Report  on  Organization  and  Method  of  Investiga- 
tions." 

Comparative  statistics  have  been  compiled  for  the  year 
ended  June  30,  1912,  although  later  information  is  available, 
because  statistics  for  the  seven  districts  previously  reported  on 
have  been  compiled  for  that  year. 

The  discovery  of  coal  in  District  I Y  was  made  early.  Up 
to  the  present  time  the  first  mention  of  coal  in  the  country 
which  afterwards  became  the  United  States  has  been  errone- 
ously credited  to  Father  Louis  Hennepin,  who  shows  on  a  ma]) 
published  in  1689  the  location  of  a  "cole  mine"  along  the  Illinois 
River.  The  credit  for  this  first  mention  of  coal  does  not,  how- 
ever, belong:  to  Hennepin  for  the  first  discover?  of  coal  in  the 


8  COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 

United  States  by  Europeans  was  made  by  Joliet  and  Mar- 
quette in  1673.  Margry's  account1  of  Joliet's  voyage  says, 
"The  said  M.  Joliet  adds,  That  lie  had  set  down  in  his  Journal 
an  exact  Description  of  the  Iron-Mines  they  discovered,  as 
also  of  the  Quarries  of  Marble,  and  Cole-Pits,  and  Places 
where  they  find  Salt-Petre,  with  several  other  things."  Joliet's 
map  of  16742  (See  fig.  2)  shows  the  location  of  "Charbon  de 
terre"  (coal)  near  the  present  city  of  Utica.  La  Salle  in  his 
letter  to  Frontenac  (1680)  referring  to  the  Illinois  River3  says, 
"We  have  seen  no  mines  there  though  several  Pieces  of  Copper 
are  found  in  the  Sand  when  the  River  is  low.  There  is  the  best 
Hemp  in  that  Country  I  have  seen  anywhere,  though  it  groAvs 
naturally  without  culture.  The  Savages  tell  us,  that  they  have 
found  near  this  Village  some  yellow  Metal ;  but  that  cannot  be 
Gold,  according  to  their  own  Relation,  for  the  Oar  of  Gold 
cannot  be  too  fine  and  bright  as  they  told  us.  There  are  Coal- 
Pits  on  that  River.''  Marquette's  Journal  was  first  published 
in  France  by  Thevenot  in  1681.4  Accompanying  the  narrative 
was  a  map  (See  fig.  3)  copied  by  Thevenot  from  one  made  by 
Marquette.  Both  original  and  copy  show  the  same  location  of 
"Charbon  de  terre"  as  does  Joliet's  map. 

Father  Louis  Hennepin,  a  Recollect  priest,  accompanied 
La  Salle's  expedition  to  the  Illinois  country  in  1680  as  chap- 
lain and  in  his  "A  New  Discovery  of  a  Large  Country  in  Amer- 
ica," published  in  English  in  1689,  says  with  reference  to  the 
country  along  the  Illinois  River  from  its  source  to  the  site  of 
the  present  city  of  Peoria  :5  "There  are  Mines  of  Coal,  Slate, 
and  Iron;  and  several  pieces  of  fine  red  copper,  which  I  have 
found  now  and  then  upon  the  Surface  of  the  Earth,  makes  me 
believe  that  there  are  Mines  of  it ;  and  doubtless  of  other  Met- 
als and  Minerals,  which  may  be  discovered  one  time  or  another. 
They  have  Already  found  Allom  in  the  country  of  the  Iro- 
quoise."    Hennepin's  map  accompanying  this  narrative5  locates 

^ecouvertes  et  fitablissements  des  Francais,  I,  p.  261.     Published  at  Paris, 
1681. 

2Thwaites,  Jesuit  Relations,  Vol.  19,  p.  86. 

3Margry,  Vol.  I,  p.  465. 

4Recueil  de  Voyages. 

5Thwaites,  Hennepin's  New  Discovery,  Vol.  I,  p.  152. 


INTRODUCTION 


THE   CENTRAL   PORTION   OF   JOLIET's   MAP,    1674,    SHOWING  THE   MISSISSIPPI   AS  THE   "BAUDE." 

Fig.    2.      Copy   of   Joliet's   map  made   in    1674    (From    "A    History    of    the    Mississippi    Valley, 

by    Spears  and   Clark ) 


10 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


INTRODUCTION  11 

a  "cole  mine"  on  the  Illinois  River  above  Fort  Crevecoeur 
(Peoria)  copied  from  Joliet's  map  or  Marquette's. 

Other  early  mention  of  coal  in  District  IV  is  made  by 
Patrick  Kennedy  in  his  journal  of  an  expedition  undertaken 
in  the  year  1773  from  Kaskaskias  Village  in  the  Illinois  coun- 
try in  search  of  a  copper  mine.  Under  the  date  of  August  6, 
1773,  he  writes1,  "At  sun-set  we  passed  a  river  called  Michili- 
mackinac  (Mackinaw  River  in  Tazewell  County).  Finding 
some  pieces  of  coal,  I  was  induced  to  walk  up  the  river  a  few 
miles,  though  not  far  enough  to  reach  a  coal  mine.  In  many 
places  I  also  found  clinkers,  which  inclined  me  to  think  that 
a  coal  mine,  not  far  distant,  was  on  fire,  and  I  have  since  heard 
there  was." 

In  18232  Peoria  was  called  "a  small  settlement  in  Pike 
county  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Illinois  river,  about  200  miles 
above  its  junction  witli  the  Mississippi."  Beck  says,  "This 
section  of  country  is  not  very  rich  in  minerals.  Coal, 
however,  is  abundant  on  the  banks  of  Kickapoo  creek,  about 
one  mile  above*  its  mouth.  It  was  first  discovered  by  the  sol- 
diers stationed  at  the  fort  (Clark),  and  being  of  a  good  quality, 
Avas  used  by  them  for  fuel.  It  is  found  12  or  14  feet  below  the 
surface;  is  overlaid  by  slate,  limestone  and  sandstone;  and 
contains  vegetable  remains." 

By  1S37  the  existence  of  workable  coal  was  known  in 
three  newly  created  comities  in  the  district.  In  McLean 
County  it  was  stated1  "Of  the  minerals,  limestone  and  coal 
abound  in  several  settlements/'  A  description  of  Peoria 
County  published  in  the  Peoria  Register  and  North-western 
Gazette4  contains  the  following  statement:  "The  stone-coal  is 
said  to  be  little  inferior  to  that  of  Pittsburg,  and  is  found  in 
the  bluffs  of  all  the  creeks  and  Illinois  River.  It  is  generally 
used  for  fuel  at  Peoria  in  winter;  is  hauled  from  one  to  three 
miles,  and  is  worth  12  cents  per  bushel."     In  Schuyler  County3, 

U^icks,  Thomas  Hutchins.     A  Topographical  Description,  p.  \2~. 
-Beck.     Gazetteer  of  Illinois  and  Missouri. 
■Illinois  in  1837  &  8:  With  A  Map. 
4April  8,  1837. 


12 


COAL   MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


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INTRODUCTION  13 

"Mount  Sterling  was  a  thriving  village  of  about  50  houses. 
Coal  of  a  good  quality  was  found  within  one  mile  of  the  town/' 

By  1870  the  output  of  the  district  amounted  to  about 
250,000  tons  and  in  1880  it  had  increased  to  over  one  million. 
In  the  year  ended  June  30,  1912,  the  production  of  the  district 
was  8,523,903  tons,  14.8  per  cent  of  the  production  of  the  State. 
This  output  came  from  240  mines,  75  shipping  and  165  local, 
employing  12,835  men  and  operating  on  an  average  157  days 
during  the  twelve  months. 

Only  7.5  per  cent  of  the  production  is  mined  by  machines 
and  the  district  is  characterized  by  wasteful  and  dangerous 
shooting  off  the  solid  with  excessive  charges  of  black  powder. 
The  average  number  of  tons  gained  per  25-pound  keg  of  powder 
is  20.8.  Although  the  production  of  coal  is  only  14.8  per  cent 
of  the  production  of  the  State,  there  is  used  in  District  IV 
31.2  per  cent  of  all  the  black  powder  used  in  Illinois. 

The  proportion  of  accidents  caused  by  pit  cars  is  remark- 
ably high,  33.3  per  cent  of  the  fatal  and  45.7  per  cent  of  the 
non-fatal  accidents  occurring  from  this  cause.  The  accident 
record  of  the  district  is  the  best  of  any  important  district  in 
the  State.  Table  1  gives  general  data  for  the  district  and  Table 
2  comparative  statistics  for  District  IV  and  for  the  State. 

Thanks  are  due  to  the  operators  of  the  district  who  will- 
ingly allowed  examination  of  their  mines  and  to  the  superin- 
tendents and  mine  managers  who  accompanied  the  engineers 
through  the  mines. 

Especially  generous  assistance  was  rendered  by  Mr.  F.  S. 
Peabody,  President,  Peabody  Coal  Company;  Mr.  F.  J.  Devlin, 
Superintendent,  The  Jones  and  Adams  Coal  Company;  Mr. 
Horace  Clark,  President,  Clark  Coal  and  Coke  Company;  Mr. 
M.  S.  Coleman,  Superintendent,  Big  ('reek  Coal  Company;  and 
the  officials  of  the  Woodside  Coal  Company.  Professor  C.  W. 
Alvord  of  the  University  of  Illinois  gave  valuable  aid  in  deter- 
mining the  site  of  the  first  discovery  of  coal. 


14 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


Table  2. — Comparative  statistics  for  District  IV  and  the  State 
for  the  year  ended  June  30,  1912° 


<u  is 


Total  production  

No.  tons  mined  by  machine 

Average  daily  tonnage  

Kegs  of  powder  used  in  blasting  coal 

Average  no.  days  of  active  operation 

Total  no.  employees  

No.  days  work  performed 

No.  surface  employees  

No.  underground  employees  

Average   no.    face   workers    (miners,   loaders, 

and    machine    men  ) '' 

No.  underground  employees  per  each  surface 

employee 

No.  tons  mined  per  day  per  employee 

No.  tons  mined  per  day  per  surface  employee 
No.  tons  mined  per  day  per  underground  em- 
ployee     

No.  tons  mined  per  day  per  face  worker1' 

No.  fatal  accidents  

Per  cent  from  falling  rock  or  coal 

Per  cent  from  pit  cars 

Per  cent  from  use  of  explosives 

Per  cent  from  gas  explosions 

Per  cent  from  undercutting  machines 

No.  fatal  accidents  per  iooo  employees 

No.  tons  mined  to  each  life  lost 

No.  non-fatal  accidents  

Per  cent  from  falling  rock  or  coal 

Per  cent  from  pit  cars 

Per  cent  from  use  of  explosives 

Per  cent  from  gas  explosions 

Per  cent  from  undercutting  machines 

No.  non-fatal  accidents  per  iooo  employees.... 
No.  tons  mined  to  each  man  iniured 


8,523.903 

638,840 

54,292 

409,182 

157 

12.835 

2,015,095 

1,109 

11,726 

9,265 

10.6 

4.2 
48.9 

4-7 

5-9 

15 

33-3 

33-3 

6.7 


1.2 
568,260 

35 

34-3 

45-7 

5-7 

5-7 

2.9 

2.8 

243,540 


57,514,240 

25,550,019 

359,464 

1,313,448 

160 

79.411 

12,705,760 

7,049 

72,362 

53,3i8 

10.3 

4-5 
50.9 

4-9 
6-7 
180 

54-4 
18.8 

7.2 


2.3 

319,524 

800 

45-5 

26.3 

2.6 

2.9 

2.8 

10.1 

7i,893 


14.8 

2.5 

31.2 

16.1 
15.8 
15-7 
16.2 

17.4 


4-4 


aCompiled   from   Thirty-first   Annual    Coal   Report   of   Illinois. 
^Shipping   mines   only. 


DESCRIPTION   OP  COAL  SEAM 


15 


DESCRIPTION   OF  COAL  SEAM 


The  topography  of  the  surface  in  District  IV  is  flat  in 
some  areas,  and  rolling,  with  hills  as  high  as  300  feet  in  others. 
No.  5  coal  outcrops  on  the  surface  in  Peoria,  Fulton,  and 
Knox  Counties  but  lies  at  depths  of  300  to  600  feet  in  Macon 
County,  400  feet  in  McLean  and  260  to  300  feet  in  Logan. 

The  average  thickness  of  the  coal  is  4  feet,  8  inches  as 
reported  in  the  thirty-first  Annual  Coal  Report  of  Illinois 
from  240  mines.  The  seam  has  a  uniform  appearance  from  top 
to  bottom  and  the  coal  is  hard  and  massive.  It  shows  fine 
laminations  with  knife-edge  mother  coal  partings.  In  some 
places  there  are  discontinuous  bands  of  pyrites  near  the  mid- 
dle of  the  seam.  The  seam  lacks  the  blue-band  characteristic 
of  No.  61.    Table  3  gives  the  analvsis  of  the  coal  in  No.  5  seam. 


Table  3. — Analyses  of  No,  5  coal  in  District  IV 


<T> 

1) 

Proximate    analvsis    of    coal  : 

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with  total    mois- 

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Udden  states  that,  "in  the  mines  near  Easl  Peoria  and  at 
Edwards  the  coal  runs  out  against  the  drift  in  several  of  the 
entries.  Miners  recognize  that  these  defects  in  the  coal  are 
due  to  erosion  and  they  speak  of  the  drifl  as  'wash.'  The  drift 
generally  consists  of  sand  or  silt,  which  in  some  places  has 
been  found  to  contain  embedded  trunks  of  trees  and  other 
vegetation.  Experience  has  shown  that  the  surface  of  the  bed- 
rock does  not  always  conform   to  the  present  topography  of 

Illinois  Geological  Survey,   Bull.    14.  Coal  Resources  of  Illinois,  DeWolf. 


16 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


the  land  and  operators  are  careful  to  avoid  unprofitable  explo- 
rations of  places  where  'wash'  has  been  encountered."1 

The  immediate  roof  is  a  black  sheety  shale  locally  called 
slate.  This  shale  varies  in  thickness  from  a  few  inches  to  35 
feet  and  in  places  contains  "niggerheads"  of  iron  pyrites.  In 
many  mines  between  the  coal  and  the  shale  there  is  in  places 


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Fig.   4.      Typical  clay  vein 


a  layer  of  iron  pyrites  two  or  three  inches  thick.  Where  this 
layer  is  present  the  shale  is  protected  from  the  air  and  stays 
up;  where  it  is  not  present  the  shale  falls  badly  and  in  places 
caves  to  a  height  of  35  feet. 

1U.  S.  G.  S.  Bull.  506,  Geology  and  Mineral  Resources  of  the  Peoria  Quad- 
rangle, Illinois,  Udden. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    COAL 


17 


The  cap  rock  in  most  mines  is  limestone  but  in  a  few  is  a 
fine-grained  micaceous  sandstone.  In  some  places  the  shale  of 
the  immediate  roof  is  absent  and  the  cap  rock  conies  in  contact 
with  the  coal.  "When  the  limestone  is  disseminated  and  min- 
gled witli  the  shale  the  roof  is  soft  and  Aveathers  quickly  owing 
perhaps  to  the  presence  of  marcasite.1  It  is  then  called  clod 
and  the  niggerheads  are  iron  carbonate. 


Fig.  5.     Displacement  due  to  horizontal  movement    (Photo  by  .1.  A.  Udden) 

Prom  the  viewpoint  of  the  miner  the  chief  characteristic 
of  the  district  is  the  great  number  of  clay  veins  extending 
through  the  coal  and  roof  shale  crossing  their  bedding  planes. 
Pig.  4  shows  a  typical  clay  vein.  These  clay  veins  are  tissnres 
which  have  been  tilled  with  a  hard  light-gray  clay.  Besides 
clay  veins  the  physical  features  which  affect  mining  are  small 
'Udden,  op.  cit. 


18  COAL   MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 

faults,  slips,  and  rolls.  In  one  mine  where  the  shale  of  the 
immediate  roof  is  absent  the  sandstone  has  cut  out  the  coal  for 
150  feet  along  an  entry.  Fig.  5  shows  the  result  of  horizontal 
movement  near  Peoria.  "A  wedge  of  sandstone  has  divided  the 
roof  shale  part  of  which  continues  under  the  sandstone  and 
part  above.1  In  the  figure  "a"  is  dark  shale  with  some  streaks 
of  coal  somewhat  shattered;  "b"  is  the  roof  shale;  "c"  is  the 
coal  seam;  and  "d"  is  sandstone. 

The  coal  in  this  district  in  many  places  sticks  to  the  roof 
and  is  separated  from  it  with  difficulty.  In  one  mine  about  an 
inch  of  coal  is  left  up  to  protect  the  roof  shale  from  the  moist- 
ure of  the  air. 

The  floor  in  most  places  is  a  dark-gray  fireclay  which 
heaves  badly  when  wet.  At  one  mine  the  floor  is  a  blue  fireclay 
containing  nodular  concretions  of  iron  pyrites. 

1Udden,  op.  cit. 


MIXING    PRACTICE  19 


MINING  PRACTICE 


Seam  5  in  this  district  dips  at  the  rate  of  about  five  feet 
to  the  mile  towards  the  southeast.  It  outcrops  in  Peoria,  Ful- 
ton, and  Knox  Counties  and  in  the  face  of  the  bluffs  of  the 
Illinois  River.  The  cover  is  thickest  in  Macon  County  where 
the  coal  lies  at  a  depth  of  600  feet.  There  is  one  stripping  on 
a  surface  outcrop  and  there  are  96  mines  at  which  the  coal  is 
reached  by  drifts.  At  the  remaining  143  mines  shafts  or  slopes 
are  sunk  to  the  seam.  The  mines  examined  vary  in  depth  from 
60  to  570  feet  but  all  except  two  were  less  than  300  feet  deep. 

In  the  closed  workings  235  mines  are  worked  on  the  room- 
and-pillar  system.  Four  mines  are  operated  on  the  longwall 
system. 

Mining  methods  in  most  of  the  room-and-pillar  mines  are 
crude  and  dimensions  of  workings  are  not  suited  to  physical 
conditions.  The  mines  are  comparable  to  those  in  the  Dan- 
ville District1  where  the  many  rolls  in  the  roof  cause  devia- 
tions from  projected  systems.  The  workings  are  irregular  and 
in  some  small  mines  are  but  little  better  than  "gophering." 
The  district  is  characterized  by  many  horsebacks  where  the 
roof,  either  sandstone  or  limestone,  cuts  out  the  coal.  The 
original  method  of  mining  in  the  district  is  to  run  the  parallel 
main  entries  from  the  shaft  toward  the  boundaries,  and  from 
the  main-entries  <<>  turn  cross-entries  at  intervals  of  350  to  400 
feet.  Rooms  are  turned  off  these  cross-entries  on  30  to  42-foot 
centers  and  are  run  20  to  30  feet  wide.  Room-pillars  are  gouged 
as  the  miner  pleases  and  average  9  feet  in  width.  This  hap- 
hazard method  is  productive  of  so  many  squeezes  that  in  some 
mines  a  modification  of  the  system  has  been  made  in  which 
stub  or  room  entries  are  turned  off  the  cross-entries.  This 
method  approaches  the  panel  system  and  is  called  locally  "block 

iAndros,  S.  O.,  Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  VIII   (Danville),  Illinois 
Coal  Mining  Investigations,  Bulletin  2,  1914. 


20 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


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MINING    PRACTICE  21 

room-and-pillar."  (See  fig.  6. )  In  a  few  mines  a  sufficient  cross- 
barrier  pillar  is  left  to  confine  a  squeeze  to  the  block  in  which 
it  originates  but  in  most  mines  the  barrier  pillar  is  gouged  and 
squeezes  ride  over  it  extending  unchecked  until  they  reach  a 
horseback  or  some  ungouged  pillar  which  is  large  enough  to 
stop  them.  In  several  mines  squeezes  originating  in  rooms 
have  traveled  to  the  main  barrier  pillar  and  to  the  solid  coal 
at  the  entry  face.  In  one  mine  an  entry  Avas  saved  from  a 
threatened  squeeze  by  very  heavy  timbering  ahead  of  the 
squeeze. 

Eleven  of  the  16  mines  examined  are  at  present  operated 
on  this  semi-panel  system  but  the  relative  dimensions  of  room 
and  room-pillar  have  not  been  changed  from  previous  opera- 
tion. The  average  room  is  26  feet  wide1  and  the  average  room- 
pillar  9  feet.  These  dimensions  are  unsafe  under  the  roof 
found  in  the  district.  Room  width  is  not  uniform  but  rooms 
are  narrowed  to  avoid  horsebacks  and  widened  again  where 
the  coal  resumes  its  normal  thickness.  There  is  a  temptation 
to  get  all  the  coal  possible  on  the  advance  working  because  the 
numerous  rolls  make  uncertain  the  total  tonnage  which  can 
be  extracted  from  any  area,  and  the  rolls  interfere  seriously 
with  any  projected  plan  because  they  are  expensive  to  cut 
through.  When  a  roll  is  encountered  in  turning  a  room  off 
an  entry  work  on  this  room  is  stopped  and  a  "wing-room"  is 
turned  off  the  adjacent  room.  (See  tig.  7).  The  wing-room 
carries  tin1  side1  of  the  roll  as  a  rib  and  follows  its  course  until 
the  room  reaches  the  position  it  would  have  occupied  if  it  had 
cut  through  the  roll.     It  is  then  continued  on  ils  proper  course. 

Cleat  is  not  sufficiently  developed  to  be  a  factor  in  the 
direction  of  driving  rooms. 

Cross-cuts  are  sometimes  driven  at  irregular  distances 
to  avoid  cutting  through  the  rolls. 

Room-necks  vary  in  width  from  S  to  12  feet  and  are  gen- 
erally widened  on  both  sides  to  reach  fall  room  width  but  the 
angle  of  widening  varies.  The  distance  from  the  entry  to  the 
point  where  full  room-width  is  reached  varies  from  15  to  35 
feet.     Room  track  is  almost  alwavs  in  the  center  of  the  rooms 


22 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


Fig.    6.      Typical    block    room-and-pillar    mine 


MINING   PRACTICE 


23 


and  the  gob  is  thrown  on  each  side  of  the  track.    Table  4  gives 
dimensions  of  workings  at  the  mines  examined. 

Pillars  are  drawn  in  only  a  few  mines  and  in  those  drawing 
is  not  done  systematically  but  is  confined  to  shooting  slabs  off 
the  pillars  where  they  are  thickest.    In  nearly  all  mines  room- 


iiiiiiiirii  iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivr  Milium 


Fig.    7.      Wing-room    turned 


pillars  are  tapered  to  cross-cuts  as  shown  in  fig.  7.  In  one 
mine  an  attempt  was  made  to  draw  pillars  and  track  was  laid 
along  the  rib  but  objections  were  raised  by  the  miners  to  this 
position  of  the  track  and  the  attempt  was  abandoned. 

The  floor  is  a  fireclay  which  heaves  badly  even  when  dry. 


24  COAL    MIXING    INVESTIGATIONS 

The  principal  cause  of  the  heaving  flour  is  insufficient  pillar- 
width. 

One  of  the  mines  examined  is  now  worked  on  the  longwall 
system  although  it  was  opened  on  the  room-and-pillar  system. 
This  mine  is  worked  by  the  45-degree  advancing  system  and 
the  method  of  working  does  not  differ  from  that  employed  in 
District  I.1  Room  centers  at  the  longwall  face  are  42  feet 
apart  and  the  face  between  centers  is  called  a  "place."  Two 
men  work  in  each  place.  The  clay  under  the  coal  is  undercut 
with  a  pick  to  a  deptli  of  two  feet  and  is  Avedged  down  as 
needed  to  fill  cars.  The  miners  at  each  place  are  required 
to  brush  two  feet  of  roof  along  the  roadway  and  to  build 
packAvalls  to  protect  the  roadway.  Where  the  amount  of  rock 
obtained  from  the  miners'  brushing  is  not  sufficient  for  com- 
Xdeting  the  packwall,  "company  men"  make  a  further  brush- 
ing on  the  permanent  haulage  ways  and  bring  to  the  face  the 
rock  thus  obtained.  Two  men  can  average  10  %  tons  of  coal 
daily.  The  coal  at  this  mine  averages  4%  feet  in  thickness 
and  the  amount  of  rock  hoisted  is  less  than  in  mines  in  Dis- 
trict I.  When  producing  750  tons  of  coal  per  day  there  are  only 
18  to  20  tons  of  rock  which  can  not  be  used  underground  in  the 
gob.  In  District  I  about  one-third  as  much  rock  as  coal  is 
hoisted.  There  is  considerable  difficulty  in  cleaning  up  after 
a  suspension  of  working.  After  a  shut-down  of  three  months 
it  takes  two  weeks  to  clean  the  mine  during  which  period 
about  125  tons  of  rock  per  day  are  hoisted.  Fig.  S  shows  the 
rock  dump  at  this  mine. 

Although  the  mines  are  shallow  operators  have  very  little 
trouble  with  seepage  water  and  at  no  mine  is  more  than  30,000 
gallons  of  water  pumped  in  24  hours.  Several  mines  are 
muddy  but  the  water  drains  off  easily  into  the  sumps  at  the 
shafts  or  is  pumped  to  them  by  electric  gathering  pumps  from 
small  sumps  inby.  The  shallowest  mines  are  the  muddiest  and 
the  water  seeps  through  the  roof  or  comes  in  where  breaks  to 
the  surface  occur.  One  or  two  gasoline  pumps  are  used  at  the 
main  sumps  but  in  general  the  main  pump  is  operated  by  steam 
and  the  gathering  pumps  by  electricity.     The    source    of    the 

iAndros,  S.  O.,  Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  I   (Longwall).     Bulletin  5, 
Illinois  Coal  Mining  Investigations,  1914. 


MINING    PRACTICE 


25 


water  can  be  told  by  its  character.  Where  the  water  is  acid  it 
has  been  derived  principally  from  seepage  and  its  acidity  is 
caused  by  the  solution  of  iron  sulphate;  where  it  is  neutral 
chemically  it  is  surface  water  which  has  seeped  through  the 
shaft  directly  into  the  sump.  At  one  mine  it  is  sufficiently 
pure  to  be  given  to  the  mules  which  are  stabled  underground. 


Fig.    8.      Rock    dump    at    longwall    mi 


The  labor  in  the  district  is  of  various  nationalities.  Ameri- 
cans perhaps  predominate  but  there  are  many  Italians,  Ger- 
mans, Hungarians,  Poles,  Lithuanians,  and  Croat ians.  Tabic 
5  gives  the  per  capita  production  of  coal  for  the  mines  exam- 
ined, the  district,  and  the  State.  The  small  percentage  of  its 
production  which  is  undercut  accounts  for  its  low  per  capita 
tonnage  as  compared  with  the  remainder  of  Illinois.  Face 
workers  average  only  5.8  tons  per  day  in  District  [V  as  com- 
pared with  7.4  tons  for  all  other  districts  combined.     The  per 


26 


COAL    MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


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MIXING    PRACTICE 


27 


capita  production  of  coal  for  employees  of  longwall  mines  is 
greater  than  in  District  I,  the  ratio  for  face  workers  being  4.2 
to  2.8.  This  higher  average  daily  production  is  due  to  the 
greater  thickness  of  the  seam  in  longwall  mines  in  District  IV, 
inasmuch  as  the  same  amount  of  labor  at  the  face  is  required 
to  gain  a  slice  of  coal  three  feet  thick  as  to  gain  one  four  and 
one-half  feet  thick. 


Table 

:  6.-7 

orvnage  per  fatal  and  non-f 

ftal  accident 

District 

I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

VIII 

No.  tons  per 

non-fatal 

accident 

25,675 

62,513 

85,363 

243,540 

63,872 

95,4/2 

78,788 

57,194 

No.  tons  per 
fatal    acci- 
dent 

419,362 

No 
fatalities 

128,045 

568,260 

148,27s 

316,564 

362,172 

187,469 

The  accident  record  of  this  district  is  by  far  the  best  of 
any  district  in  Illinois.  Its  mines  produce  more  than  twice  as 
much  coal  per  non-fatal  accident  as  the  mines  of  any  other 
district  and  over  one-third  more  tons  per  fatal  accident,  except 


Fig.    9.      Photograph    of   underground    refuge   chamber 

those  mines  in  District  II.  The  total  annual  production  of 
District  II  is  only  500,102  tons;  its  mines  are  small  and  employ 
comparatively  few  men.  A  comparison  of  tin1  tonnage  per  fatal 
and  non-fatal  accident  for  each  district  in  Illinois  is  given  in 
Table  0.     The  percentage  of  accidents  from  pit  cars  in  this 


28 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


district  is  very  high.  Nearly  one-fourth  of  the  total  fatal  and 
non-fatal  accidents  can  be  prevented  by  better  discipline  along 
the  haulage  roads  and  by  cleaning  up  the  gob  lying  close  to  the 
tracks.  In  no  district  in  the  State  can  a  material  decrease  in 
accidents  be  accomplished  so  easily.  The  roof  is  comparatively 
good  and  the  percentage  of  accidents  from  falls  of  roof  and 
coal  is  low.    Table  7  «ives  causes  of  accidents  in  the  district. 


Table  7. — Causes  oj 

(tec  id  cuts  to  em, 

ployees 

Percentage 

District  IV            1    A11  ^her  districts 
combined 

Causes  of  fatal  accidents 

Fall  of  rock  or  coal 

Pit  cars   

Use  of  explosives 

33-3 

33-3 

6.7 

0.0 
0.0 

34-3 

45-7 
5-7 
5-7 
2.9 

56.3 
17.6 

7-3 
0.0 

Gas   explosions   

Undercutting  machines  

Causes  of  non-fatal  accidents 

Fall  of  rock  or  coal 

Pit  cars  

Use  of  explosives  

0.0 

46.0 
25-4 

2.Z 

Gas  explosions   

Undercutting  machines 

2-7 

2-7 

The  Peabody  Coal  Company  in  its  Peabody  mine  at  Sher- 
man has  prepared  an  underground  refuge  chamber,  so  that  if 
the  miners  are  imprisoned  through  any  cause  they  may  have  a 
safe  place  of  retreat  where  communication  witli  the  surface  can 
be  maintained.  This  refuge  chamber,  shown  in  fig.  9  in  perspect- 
ive and  in  fig.  10  in  plan  and  vertical  elevation,  is  lined  with 
concrete  and  closed  by  an  air  lock  protected  with  steel  explo- 
sion-proof doors.  A  hole  8  inches  in  diameter  is  drilled  from 
the  surface  into  the  chamber  which  is  7  feet  high,  28  feet  long, 
and  16  feet  wide  where  the  shale  roof  is  supported  by  six  con- 
crete pillars  two  feet  square.  An  empty  powder  can  placed  in 
the  mouth  of  the  drill  hole  shows  its  position  in  fig.  9.  Through 
the  drill  hole  fresh  air  can  be  pumped  to  the  chamber  and 


MINING    PRACTICE 


!9 


supplies  eau  be  lowered.  Refuge  chambers  in  coal  mines  are 
an  admirable  precaution  and  at  least  two  should  be  built  in 
every  mine,  one  on  each  side,  particularly  in  mines  in  southern 
Illinois  in  which  explosive  gas  and  dust  are  found. 


Plan 


Longitudinal  Section  through  Center 
Fig.    10.      Sketch    <>f    underground    refuge    chamber 


Where  there  have  been  so  many  squeezes  under  compara- 
tively shallow  cover  surface  subsidence  is  to  be  expected.  Sur- 
face cracks  and  subsidence  seem  to  be  related  to  the  absence 


30 


COAL   MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


of  limestone  cap  rock.  Where  sandstone  is  the  cap  rock  sub- 
sidence is  more  marked.  Several  cases  of  damage  to  buildings 
and  of  broken  foundations  have  been  reported  and  in  some 
instances  after  a  squeeze  sink-holes,  9  to  10  feet  deep,  have 
appeared  in  fields. 

The  percentage  of  extraction  of  coal  from  the  seam  in 
room-and-pillar  mines  in  the  district  is  low  varying  from  50 
to  65  and  averaging  54. 

VENTILATION 

The  coal  of  this  district  generates  very  little  explosive  gas 
and  therefore  it  is  not  necessary  to  supply  extraordinary  quan- 
ties  of  air  to  the  working  face  for  the  purpose  of  gas  dilution. 
In  only  a  few  of  the  mines  examined  is  gas  found  in  sufficient 
quantity  to  make  a  cap  in  a  testing  lamp.  Gas  is  found  in 
some  mines  in  roof  caves  and  it  occurs  casually  in  small  quan- 
tities in  abandoned  areas.  An  occasional  accident  occurs  from 
ignition  of  small  bodies  of  gas  in  these  areas.  The  quantity 
of  air  supplied  to  the  working  face  is  generally  adequate  for 
proper  ventilation. 

Table  8. — Pressures  developed  by  dust  of  face  samples  in 
explosibility  apparatus 


Pressure  in  pounds 

District 

No.    samples 

per  square  inch  at 
2192  degrees  F. 

I 

ii 

8.400 

II 

5 

5.88o 

Ill 

5 

7.805 

IV 

7.700 

V 

7 

7-105 

VI 

16 

5-950 

VII 

24 

7-175 

VIII 

6 

8.925 

The  coal  dust  on  the  ribs  and  roof  of  rooms  near  the  face 
is  explosible  as  shown  in  Table  8.  Coal  dust  on  the  ribs  of 
entries  is  intimately  mixed  with  finely  ground  shale  and  fire- 
clay and  is  kept  moist  in  many  mines  by  seepage  of  surface 


MINING    PRACTICE 


31 


water.  At  some  mines  the  rib  dust  along  all  entries  is  wet. 
The  admixture  of  shale  dust  and  water  with  the  coal  dust 
accounts  for  the  comparative  freedom  from  explosions  which 
the  district  has  enjoyed.  The  moisture  extracted  from  the  dust 
by  the  air  current  is  continuously  replaced  by  seepage.  The 
humidity  of  the  mine  air  is  normal.  Hygrometers  were  in- 
stalled by  the  Illinois  Coal  Mining  Investigations  in  the  intake 


and 


•eturn  of  the  three  following  mines: 


Empire  No.  2  mine, 


Fig.    11.      Stopping   built    of    Pyrohar   block 


Clark  Coal  and  Coke  Company,  Peoria;  Peerless  mine,  Jones 
and  Adams  Coal  Company,  Springfield ;  YVoodside  mine,  Wood- 
side  Coal  Company,  Springfield.  Headings  three  times  daily 
were  made  at  each  mine  during  the  working  year.  The  average 
temperature  of  the  outside  air  during  the  months  these  mines 
operated  was  40  degrees  F.  The  average  temperature  of  the 
return  air  was  63  degrees  F.  The  relative  humidity  of  the  out- 
side air  was  70  per  cent  and  of  the  return  air  in  the  mines  94 
per  cent.  Details  of  this  study  of  humidity  of  air  in  Illinois 
mines  can  be  found  in  Bulletin  83,  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines, 
The  Humidity  of  Mine  Air,  by  R.  Y.  Williams. 

The  average  size  of  air  shafts  at  the  mines  examined  is  7 
by  10  feet.     The  average  width  of  fan  is  4  feet  and  the  average 


32 


COAL   MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


diameter  13  feet.  At  one  mine  in  which  insufficient  air  was 
being  given  by  the  fan  a  booster  fan  was  installed  underground 
near  the  end  of  the  main  entry.  The  present  intake  of  this 
mine  is  26,200  cubic  feet  per  minute.  It  is  reported  by  the  oper- 
ators that  before  the  installation  of  the  booster  fan  the  intake 
was  10,800  cubic  feet. 

At  most  mines  the  fans  are  always  run  as  blowers  but  in 
a  few  they  exhaust  in  summer  and  blow  in  winter.     At  tAvo 


Fig.    12.      Pyrobar  block  showing  core   holes 


mines  the  intake  air  is  heated;  at  one  by  passing  it  over  a  eoil 
of  one-inch  pipe  695  feet  long  through  which  live  steam  is 
passed  at  a  pressure  of  80  pounds  per  square  inch ;  at  the  other 
by  jets  of  steam  exhausted  into  the  air  shaft  from  the  fan 
engine.  At  these  mines  it  is  stated  that  in  the  coldest  Aveather 
the  intake  air  at  the  bottom  of  the  air-shaft  lias  a  temperature 
above  freezing.  Clean-up  expense  in  this  district  can  be  les- 
sened materially  by  heating  the  intake  air  and  every  mine  in 
the  district  could  profitably  install  a  steam  eoil  or  drum.  The 
initial  expense  Avould  be  small  and  the  expense  of  operation 
slight  compared  a\  itli  the  saving  in  clean-up  cost.  The  shale 
roof  spalls  off  badly  in  spring  and  summer  in  many  mines  and 
in  some  continues  to  fall  till  the  limestone  or  sandstone  cap 


MINING    PRACTICE 


33 


rock  is  exposed.  In  several  mines  in  new  entries  driven  dur- 
ing- winter  the  roof  begins  to  fall  with  the  advent  of  summer 
and  caves  to  the  cap  rock.  The  cause  of  the  falling  is  chiefly 
the  expansion  of  the  black  shale  with  the  rise  in  temperature 
of  the  intake  air  current.  Maintaining  the  air  current  at  a 
more  nearly  constant  temperature  by  means  of  preheating  with 
steam  coils  would  decrease  the  roof  falls  by  decreasing  the 
seasonal  range  of  temperature. 


Table  9. — Data  relative  to  ventilation 


Air  shaft 

Fan8 

6 

c 

<v 

a 

P 

-M 

<L>  .~ 

0 

3  c 

u  0 

0  x: 

.    s- 

Type 

u 

5"~ 

1" 

25 
26 

27 
28 

29 
3i 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 

4i 
42 

185 
196 

I/O 

150 

185 

60 

68 

285 

203 
l62 
200 
235 
245 
204 
270 
365 
5/0 

8  by  8 
8  by  15 
6  by   14 

5  by  10 

8  by  16 

9  by   15 

6  by  9 
6  by   12 

5  by  10 

6  by  8 
7V2  by   15 

10  by   J  4 

6  by   12 

io  by   12 

2 
2 
1 
2 

2 
1 
2 

2 
2 

3 
2 
2 
0 

Paddle-wheel 

Sturtevant 

Paddle-wheel 

Paddle-wheel 

Paddle-wheel 

Duncan 

Paddle-wheel 

Robinson 

Paddle-wheel 

Paddle-wheel 

Stevens 

Buffalo  I;orge 

Jeffrey 

C  appell 

Jeffrev 

15 

63/4 
12 
2;) 
16 

10 
\2 

1-' 
I-' 
12 
If) 
IO 

6 
10 

15 

3/2 

4 
4 
7 
4 
6 

4 
6 
4 
6 

4 

5 
4 

7V2 
3V2 

\XA  by  7 
6  by  8 

\ 
2 

Stevens 
Duncan 

2 

aPaddle-wheel  refers  to  straight  blad<    type  of  tan     often   home  made. 

(Job  stoppings  are  built  in  most  mines  and  in  many  they 
are  leaky  allowing  a  large  percentage  of  the  air  blown  by  the 
fan  through  the  intake  to  short-circuit  into  the  return  before 
reaching  the  faces  of  the  rooms.  At  one  mine  a  tight  gob  stop- 
ping is  provided  and  w  considerable  amount  of  gob  removed 
from  the  road  by  tilling  the  entire  cross-cut  through  the  20- 
foot  pillar.    At  two  of  the  mines  examined  tight  stoppings  are 


34 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


built  of  Pyrobar  blocks  as  shown  in  fig.  9.  Pyrobar  is  a  gyp- 
sum block  made  in  two  sizes:  12  by  30  by  4  inches  and  12  by 
30  by  5  inches.  For  decreasing  weight  three  longitudinal  core 
holes  are  made  in  the  blocks  as  shown  in  fig.  12.  The  block  4 
inches  thick  has  a  compressive  strength  of  154  pounds  per 
square  inch  and  the  block  5  inches  thick  a  strength  of  162 
pounds.  The  greater  compressive  strength  of  the  block  five 
inches  thick  is  due  to  greater  thickness  of  its  walls.    The  four- 


Fig.   13.     Fire-seal  repaired  by   Pyrobar 


inch  block  weighs  12  pounds  per  square  foot  of  surface  and 
the  five-inch  block,  13%  pounds.  The  price  of  the  four-inch 
block  is  four  cents  per  square  foot,  f.  o.  b.  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa. 
The  Pyrobar  block  is  well  adapted  to  mine  stoppings  and  fire 
seals  in  dry  mines  where  it  is  not  subjected  to  heavy  roof  set- 
tlement. The  blocks  can  be  sawed  into  desired  sizes  with  a 
hand  saw.  The  mortar  used  in  building  stoppings  with  this 
material  has  a  gypsum  base  and  costs  $6.50  per  ton.  Two 
men  can  build  three  6  by  12-foot  stoppings  in  eight  hours.  In 
this  district  a  6  by  12-foot  stopping  in  place  costs  f 6.50 ;  about 
nine  cents  per  square  foot  of  surface.     Fire  seals  can  be  built 


MINING    PRACTICE 


35 


easily  and  quickly  Avitli  these  blocks  which  are  fire  resistant. 
Fig.  13  shows  a  broken  fire  seal  repaired  with  Pyrobar. 

Many  mines  in  the  district  are  troubled  with  small  fires 
which  originate  from  two  causes:  the  use  of  excessive  charges 
of  black  powder  at  the  face  in  blasting  coal  and  the  mixture 
of  fine  coal  and  iron  pyrites  in  gob  in  damp  rooms  and  entries. 
Almost  all  of  the  fires  are  quenched  with  water  before  they 
attain  serious  proportions  but  some  of  them  require  sealing  off. 


Fig.    14.      Concrete    overcast 


The  usual  seal  is  built  of  concrete  and  costs  from  50  to  100 
dollars  in  place.  In  some  mines  an  unnecessarily  expensive 
mixture  of  concrete  is  used.  In  a  few  mines  seals  are  built  of 
brick  and  gob. 

Table  0  gives  ventilating  equipment.  The  shafts  of  the 
mines  examined  were  all  sunk  before  the  passage  of  the  law 
requiring  fire-proofed  linings  and  each  one  of  the  air-shafts  is 
timber-lined. 

For  carrying  the  intake  air  over  the  return  airway  over- 
casts are  built  at  all  but  one  mine  at  which  an  undercast  has 
been  excavated  and  the  intake  air  carried  under  the  return 
airway.    Overcasts  are  constructed  of  timber  only,  timber  and 


36  COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 

concrete,  old  rails  or  steel  I-beams  and  concrete,  concrete  only, 
brick  and  timber,  brick  and  steel,  and  Pyrobar.  Fig.  14  shows 
a  concrete  overcast  at  a  point  Avhere  the  haulage  way  underlies 
a  railroad  track  on  the  surface.  To  prevent  possible  subsid- 
ence of  the  surface  and  consequent  damage  to  the  railroad 
track  the  approaches  to  the  overcast  are  made  5  feet  thick  and 
the  floor  of  the  overcast  is  reinforced  with  4-inch  steel  I-beams. 
At  those  mines  at  which  there  were  water  gages,  previous 
to  the  passage  of  the  State  law  requiring  water  gages  at  all 
mines,  the  readings  varied  from  1  to  3%  inches.  At  one  mine 
the  fan  is  driven  by  an  electric  motor;  at  all  of  the  others 
examined  the  fan  is  steam  driven. 

BLASTING 

In  District  IV  only  7.5  per  cent  of  the  annual  production 
is  mined  by  machines.  The  remaining  92.5  per  cent,  7,885,063 
tons,  is  gained  by  shooting  off  the  solid.  In  no  other  important 
district  in  Illinois  mining  on  the  room-and-pillar  system  is  so 
small  a  percentage  of  the  production  undercut.  Dangerous 
and  wasteful  excess  of  black  powder  is  used  in  blasting  coal. 
At  one  mine  where  two  men  were  killed  by  a  blown-out  shot  a 
drill  hole  Avas  measured  eleven  feet  in  length  and  three  inches 
in  diameter.  At  many  mines  the  number  of  tons  of  coal  gained 
per  keg  of  powder  has  decreased  from  25  to  19  since  the  intro- 
duction of  shot-firers.  The  miners  drill  longer  holes  and  put 
in  heavier  charges  Avhen  they  do  not  fire  their  oAvn  shots  and 
consequently  are  not  exposed  to  the  danger  resulting  from 
bloAvn-out  shots.  The  excess  of  poAvder  above  that  necessary 
to  bring  doAvn  the  coal  shatters  the  coal  producing  an  unneces- 
sary amount  of  slack,  cracks  the  roof  increasing  the  danger 
of  accident  from  roof- fall,  and  causes  fires  at  the  face. 

Black  poAvder  is  used  in  every  room-and-pillar  mine  in 
the  district.  At  one  mine  size  CC  only  is  used;  at  six,  C  only; 
at  two,  C  and  CC ;  at  four,  F  only;  at  two,  FF  only;  and  at 
one  F,  C,  and  CC.  In  the  longwall  mines  40  per  cent  dynamite 
is  used  in  roof  brushing.  In  a  feAV  places  Avhere  the  coal  in 
longwall  mines  is  tight  size  CC  black  poAvder  is  used  for  blast- 


MIXING    PRACTICE 


37 


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.£  .5  .5  .£  .5  .5  ,c  .5  .5  .E  .5  .S  .5  .5 

oo  oc  o    o  o  ooooooo 

CO  O    O  OC  O  ooooooo   — 

en     c/3  en     en  Tr.     <s<  en  en    In    "<n    *en    "en    tn     en     ? 

r5  75  •-  3  3  "i  !2  7E  "E  3!H!S!H3  33   ^ 

'o'o.G'o'o-fi'o'o  *3  'o'o'o'o'o'o'oo 


Is 


38 


COAL   MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


ing  coal.  The  amount  used  for  this  purpose  is  very  small. 
Black  powder  is  purchased  in  metal  kegs  throughout  the 
district. 

Shots  were  formerly  fired  by  squibs  in  the  mines  examined 
but  as  numerous  accidents  occurred  through  miners  or  shot- 
firers  returning  too  soon  to  the  face  to  discover  the  cause  of 
missed  shots  fuse  was  substituted. 

At  many  mines  powder  is  carelessly  handled  during  trans- 


Plon 
Fig.    15.     Typical   method   of  placing   shots   after    undercutting 


portation  to  the  face  and  is  carried  from  the  surface  to  the 
underground  partings  exposed  in  open  cars. 

As  in  every  district  in  Illinois,  metal  powder  kegs  are 
often  opened  with  pick  points,  dummies  are  frequently  filled 
with  "bug  dust,"  and  miners  many  times  fill  their  cartridges 
while  wearing  lamps  on  their  caps. 

Stricter  discipline  in  regard  to  common-sense  observance 
of  safety  regulations  is  greatly  needed  in  the  district  and  will 
reduce  both  the  number  of  accidents  and  the  proportion  of 
slack  coal. 

In  the  mines  where  shooting  off  the  solid  is  practiced 
shooting  in  rooms  is  done  off  the  Aveak  rib.  A  round  usually 
consists  of  four  holes,  two  rib  and  two  center  shots.  At  one 
mine  an  irregularly  shaped  piece  of  coal  was  seen  17  feet  in 


MINING    PRACTICE 


39 


circumference  and  6  feet  high  which  had  been  blasted  off  a 
rib  with  an  8-foot  shot. 

In  those  mines  in  which  the  coal  is  undercut  the  usual 
method  of  placing  drill  holes  is  shown  in  fig.  15.  Seam  5  has 
always  been  considered  hard  by  the  miners  and  in  undercut- 
ting machines  only  chisel  bits  are  used.  At  every  mine  exam- 
ined in  which  the  coal  is  undercut  electric  undercutting  ma- 
chines are  used.  Chain  breast  machines  are  most  popular  but 
"pneumelectric"  are  used  in  a  few  mines  in  the  district. 


Fig.    16.      Entry    sixteen    feet    wide    without    timber 

In  many  mines  the  coal  sticks  to  the  roof  and  to  the  floor. 
In  one  mine  where  shooting  is  done  off  the  solid  about  an  inch 
of  coal  is  left  on  the  roof.  At  another  an  inch  or  so  of  fireclay 
sticks  to  the  bottom  of  the  seam  and  causes  some  difficulty  in 
maintaining  proper  cleanliness  of  the  coal  arriving  at  the  tip- 
ple. Table  10  gives  blasting  data.  The  figures  for  percentage 
of  lump  coal  were  supplied  by  the  operators.  The  average 
tonnage  per  keg  of  powder  for  the  district  is  20.8. 

TIMBERING 

The  black  sheety  sliale  roof  of  the  district  falls  and  caves 
badly  when  exposed  to  the  air.  In  many  mines  in  places  the 
thin  layer  of  iron  pyrites  called  "sulphur"  between  the  coal 
and  the  shale  protects  the  shale  which  stays  up  in  entries  with- 
out propping.  Fig.  16  shows  an  entry  16  feet  wide  where  the 
roof  stays  up  without  any  timbering.     In  some  mines  this  layer 


40 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


of  pyrites  may  be  present  in  one  section  and  absent  in  others 
and  it  may  be  present  in  one  of  two  adjacent  mines  and  absent 
in  the  other.  For  this  reason  the  timbering  costs  of  mines  in 
this  district  are  variable.  The  amount  of  timbering  necessary 
also  depends  upon  the  number  of  clay  veins  in  the  coal.  In 
the  vicinity  of  these  veins  the  roof  is  difficult  to  support  and 
usually  requires  heavy  timbering.  The  total  cost  of  timber  in 
the  room-and-pillar  mines  including  room  props  ranges  from 


Fig.    17.      Three-piece    entry   set 

iy2  to  4  cents  per  ton  of  coal  hoisted  and  the  total  timbering 
expense  including  cost  of  timber  and  labor  of  setting  in  place 
varies  from  12  to  20  cents  per  ton.  The  average  cost  of  timber 
supply  is  estimated  at  3  cents  per  ton  of  coal  and  the  average 
cost  of  timber  in  place  at  14  cents. 

Where  entry  timbering  is  necessary  the  three-piece  entry 
set  of  round  timber  is  much  used  as  shown  in  fig.  IT.  Legs  are 
usually  battered  to  resist  side  pressure.  In  some  mines  one 
end  of  the  crossbar  is  placed  in  a  hitch  in  the  rib  and  in  others 
where  narrow  entries  must  be  driven  both  ends  are  hitched  in 
the  rib  as  shown  in  fig.  18.     Centers  vary  from  2  to  8  feet. 

The  percentage  of  white-oak  in  purchased  timber  varies 
from  10  to  70  and  averages  60.  The  life  of  timber  is  generally 
two  to  three  years  although  in  some  mines  timber  stands  for 


MIXING    PRACTICE 


41 


ten  years  without  decay.  In  a  few  mines  where  timber  loss 
by  decay  has  been  heavy  the  timbers  are  given  a  preservative 
treatment  before  installation.  At  one  mine  where  creosote  is 
used  as  a  preservative  timber  is  treated  with  one  gallon  per 
cubic  foot.  Untreated  round  white-oak  timbers  with  a  small- 
end  diameter  of  10  inches  cost  10  cents  per  running  foot.  The 
treated  timber  at  the  pit-mouth  costs  17  cents  per  running  foot. 


Fig.   IX.     Cross-bar  set  in   hitches  in  ribs 

At  one  mine  if  ji  crossbar  breaks  it  is  replaced  by  one 
which  has  been  treated  with  carbolineum.  In  another  all  new 
shaft  sets  are  being  treated  with  it. 

Steel  I-beams  are  used  in  many  mines  for  collars  of  entry 
sets.  Comparative  average  sizes  of  white-oak  round  timbers 
and  steed  I-beams  in  District  IV  for  various  spans  are  as 
follows : 

Diameter  of  round  white- 
Span  in  feet  oak  timbers  in  inches 
8  6 


10 
12 
14 
16 

18 


7 

9 

10 

12 

14 


Size  and  weight 
of  steel  I-beams 
is  pound ;  8-inch 
IS  pound  ;  8-inch 
18  pound ;  8-inch 
40  pound ;  12-inch 
40  pound ;  12-inch 
52  pound ;  12-inch 


42 


COAL    MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


At  one  mine  where  white-oak  crossbars  after  failure  are 
being  replaced  by  second-hand  steel  I-beams,  a  30-pound  12- 
inch  I-beam  16  feet  long  costs  $4.80  at  the  pit-mouth  and  a  12- 
inch  white-oak  timber  of  the  same  length  costs  $3.00.  The 
cost  of  setting  in  place  is  reported  to  be  about  the  same  for 
steel  and  timber.  An  average  estimate  for  the  district  is  3 
cents  per  pound  for  I-beams  in  place  including  cost  of  steel 
and  labor  in  setting.    If  there  is  much  rock  work  to  do  in  set- 


Fig.    19.      Steel  I-beams  and  concrete  at  bottom 


ting  the  crossbar  the  cost  is  increased.  In  one  mine  where 
placing  the  sets  requires  considerable  rock  work  an  entry-set 
composed  of  a  10-inch  35-pound  steel  I-beam  16  feet  long  on 
8-inch  white-oak  legs  8  feet  long  costs  approximately  |20.00  in 
place. 

At  one  mine  on  one  side  of  the  shaft  the  bottom  for  200 
feet  is  concreted  as  shown  in  fig.  19  and  52-pound  12-inch  I- 
beams  on  2-foot  centers  support  the  roof.  The  concrete  walls 
are  imbedded  four  deep  in  the  floor. 

At  several  mines  old  railroad  and  streetcar  rails  are  used 
as  crossbars.  In  one  mine  at  the  partings  the  sets  are  com- 
posed of  old  railroad  ties  as  legs  and  17-foot  rails  as  crossbars. 
The  rails  were  purchased  for  $12.00  per  ton.  Old  rails  pur- 
chased for  this  purpose  vary  in  weight  from  55  to  65  pounds 


MINING   PRACTICE  43 

per  yard.  They  are  not  as  good  as  structural-steel  I-beams  for 
support  of  heavy  roofs  because  their  carbon  content  is  high  and 
their  section  is  not  the  best  for  this  purpose.  Therefore,  they 
break  more  easily  than  do  I-beams.  It  is  not  unusual  to  find 
that  they  have  deteriorated  in  use,  and  have  little  value  as  roof 
supports. 

The  roof  in  rooms  in  this  district  is  supported  by  unpeeled 
split  and  round  props  with  a  diameter  of  4%  inches  at  the 
small  end.  Crossbars  are  seldom  used  in  rooms.  For  ordinary 
use  the  length  of  props  varies  from  4%  to  6  feet.  Longer  props 
are  used  in  some  mines  where  clay  veins  are  cut  through  or 
where  caving  roof  is  encountered.  For  lengths  up  to  five  feet 
the  average  cost  of  room-props  is  one  cent  a  running  foot. 
With  increasing  length  the  cost  advances  rapidly.  The  prices 
paid  at  several  mines  are : 


Length  in  feet  Cost  in  cents  per  prop 

4%  41/0 

5  5 
5%  61/2 

6  10 
6y2  13 

7  17 

8  25 

9  30 


The  cost  of  room  props  per  ton  of  coal  ranges  from  lu- 
cent to  Sy2  cents.  The  number  of  tons  of  coal  produced  for 
each  room  prop  purchased  ranges  from  2  to  12,  varying  in  dif- 
ferent mines  and  in  different  sections  of  the  same  mine. 

Table  11  gives  data  on  props  in  rooms.  The  figures  for 
the  number  of  props  per  100  square  feet  of  roof  were  obtained 
by  counting  the  props  in  a  measured  length  in  each  of  several 
typical  rooms  of  measured  width.  The  average  number  of 
props  per  100  square  feet  of  roof  is  3.3  for  the  mines  examined. 
Table  12  compares  the  number  of  props  used  in  rooms  for  each 
district. 


44 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


Table  11. — Data  concerning  props  in  rooms 


6 

No.   per    too 

square  feet  of 

roof 

Cost  in  cents 

per  100  square 

feet  of  roof 

Average 

length  in 

feet 

u 

O 

O   w 

Cost  in  cents 

per  ton  of 

coala 

25 

3-7 

16.7 

4K2 

Both 

26 

5-4 

25.2 

42A 

Both 

3-00 

2/ 

3-7 

17.2 

42A 

Both 

i-75 

28 

5 

Both 

3.00 

29 

434 

Both 

2.90 

3i 

6.5 

30.0 

SVa 

Both 

2.00 

32 

4.0 

20.0 

5 

Both 

2.70 

33 

2.8 

16.8 

5 

Both 

2.50 

34 

6 

Split 

3S 

6 

Both 

36 

2.6 

26.0 

6 

Both 

37 

2.8 

18.2 

6 

Both 

2.40 

38 

1.6 

8.8 

5/2 

Split 

39 

1.1 

1 0.0 

6 

Split 

0.50 

40 

2.4 

14-4 

52/3 

Round 

1. 00 

4i 

5/2 

Split 

2.00 

42 

A1/* 

Both 

"Figures  supplied   by    operators. 

Table  12. — Comparison  for  each  district  of  number  of  props 

used  in  rooms 

Average  no.  props  in  rooms  per 


District 

100  sq.  ft.  of  roof 

I 

Longwall 

II 

6.0 

III 

Few  props  except  at  clay  veins 

IV 

3-3 

V 

3-2 

VI 

2.9 

VII 

3-7 

VIII 

5-5 

Generally  throughout  the  district  props  are  not  kept  close 
enough  to  the  face.  More  face  bosses  are  needed  to  keep  the 
props  near  enough  to  the  face  to  prevent  accidents  from  roof 
fall. 

All  shafts  at  the  mines  examined  have  timber  linings. 


MIXING    PRACTICE 


45 


HAULAGE 

Seam  5  is  flat  lying  in  this  district  and  few  heavy  grades 
are  encountered  in  mine  entries.  An  occasional  two  per  cent 
grade  is  found  persisting  for  a  few  hundred  feet.  Entries  are 
not  very  narrow  and  physical  conditions  generally  are  favor- 
able to  comparatively  rapid  and  economical  haulage.  Yet 
efficient  haulage  is  found  in  few  mines.  In  only  28  of  the  240 
mines  of  the  district  are  locomotives  used.     Rope  haulage  is 


I'm..    _;0.      F 


)motive  in  Illinois   (Photo  loaned  by   Mr.    Frank   R.   Fisher) 


used  in  10  mines.  In  100  mines  underground  haulage  is  done 
by  mules  and  in  102  the  cars  are  pushed  to  the  bottom  by  hand. 
At  7  of  the  mines  examined  cars  are  hauled  by  mules  from  the 
face  to  the  bottom.  At  8  mines  electric  locomotives  are  in  use 
and  at  two,  gasoline  locomotives. 

The   first  gasoline   locomotive   used    in    Illinois   mines   \\;is 
built  by  the  Sangamon  Coal  Company  and  put   in  its  mine  at 


46 


COAL   MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


Springfield  in  1904.  This  crude  machine,  fig.  20,  pulled  in  a 
trip  seven  to  nine  mine  cars  each  weighing  loaded  4,000  pounds. 
The  rails  in  the  mine  at  that  time  weighed  16  pounds  per  yard. 
At  all  but  one  of  those  mines  in  which  mechanical  haulage 
is  installed  track  conditions  are  fairly  good.  The  speed  of 
locomotives  averages  about  10  miles  per  hour.  At  one  mine 
alternating  current  is  used  for  driving  a  7-ton  locomotive. 


Table  13.— 

Ton  mileage  of  locomotives 

Kind  of 
locomo- 
tive 

Weight    of 
locomo- 
tive in 
tons 

Miles  trav- 
eled per 
shift  by- 
locomotive 

Ton  mileage  per  shift 

Mine 
no. 

In  coal 

In  cars 

Total 

25 

26 
27 
28 
29 
3i 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 

41 

42 

Electric 

Electric 

None 

Electric 

Gasoline 

Electric 

None 

Electric 

None 

None 

Electric 

Electric 

Electric 

Gasoline 

None 

None 

None 

10 
n/2 

10 

8 

12 

12 

15 
10 
12 

39-77 

37-87 
13.25 
34-09 

20.00 

31.06 
30.00 
38.63 
33.14 

736 

710 
167 
600 

590 

852 
990 
946 
829 

620 

426 
103 
665 

190 

582 
726 
676 
563 

1356 

1 136 

270 

1355 

780 

1434 
1716 

1622 
1392 

An  illustration  of  the  false  economy  of  neglecting  road 
bed  is  shown  by  the  comparison  of  ton-mileage  obtained  by 
gasoline  locomotives  in  two  mines  (See  Table  13).  At  one  of 
these  proper  attention  is  paid  to  the  road-bed  and  a  daily  ton- 
mileage  of  1392  is  achieved  by  a  12-ton  locomotive.  The  loco- 
motive travels  33.14  miles  per  shift  and  burns  27  gallons  of 
gasoline  using  2  gallons  of  engine  oil.  Engine  oil  costs  34 
cents  per  gallon  at  the  mine.  At  the  other  mine  road-bed  and 
track  are  neglected  and  in  poor  condition  and  only  270  ton- 


MINING    PRACTICE 


47 


miles  are  made  during  eight  hours;  the  eight-ton  locomotive 
travelling  13.25  miles  per  shift. 


Table  14. — Amount  of  air  required  for  ventilation  with  various 

sizes  of  gasoline  locomotives. 


Co      l-H 

-H         CD 


C    3 

t5U 


Maximum    probable    amount 

of  noxious  gases  (Cu.  ft.  per 

min.    at    6o°    F.    and    30    in. 

barometer)    produced    with 


Good 
carburation 


CO 


CO, 


Bad 
carburation 


CO 


CO: 


Amount  of   air 

(Cu.   ft.  per 
min.)     required 
to    dilute   ex- 
haust gases  to  1 
part  CO  per 
1000  parts  of 
airb 


8.2 

O    fa 

o  ? 


c3    O 


4-75  by  5-25 

4 

5  by  5 

4 

5  by  5 

4 

5  by  6 

4 

5-5  by  5 

4 

6  by  6 

4 

6  by  7 

4 

6.5  by  7 

4 

6.5  by  8 

4 

7  by  7 

4 

7  by  7 

6 

8  by  7 

4 

8  by  7 

6 

800 

600 

800 
800 

600 
700 
500 
500 
650 
500 
500 

500 

500 


172 

136 

182 
218 
165 

275 

22Q 
269 

399 
3 1 2 
468 
407 
610 


2.61 

2.06 
2.76 
3-30 
2.50 
4.17 
347 
4.07 
6.04 

473 
7.08 

6.16 

9-4 


6.80 

5-37 

7.18 

8.60 

6.51 

10.86 

9.04 

10.63 

15.76 

12.33 

18.49 

16.08 

24.10 


9.91 
7.84 
10.48 
12.56 
9-5o 
15.85 
13.19 
15-50 
23.00 

17-97 
26.97 

2345 
35-14 


3.65 

2,610 

2.88 

2.060 

3-86 

2,760 

4.62 

3,3oo 

3.50 

2,500 

5.82 

4,170 

4.85 

3470 

5.70 

4,070 

8.46 

6.040 

6.62 

4.73o 

9.92 

7,080 

8.62 

6,160 

12.93 

9,240 

9.910 
7,840 

10,480 
12,560 

9,500 
15,850 
13,190 
15,500 

23,000 
17,970 
26,970 

23,450 
35.140 


"Area  piston  in  square  feet  multiplied  by  stroke  in  feet  multiplied  by  number  of  cylinders 
multiplied  by   revolutions   per   minute. 

''Maximum  amount  of  carbon  monoxide  which  can  be  breathed  for  short  and  infrequent 
intervals   without   injurious   effects. 

The  limitations  of  the  gasoline  locomotive  for  use  in  mines 
are  clearly  shown  by  Prof.  ().  P.  Hood,  Chief  Mechanical  Engi- 
neer of  the  U.  S.  Unrcan  of  Mines.1  Prof.  Hood  says,  "The 
size  of  a  gasoline  locomotive  that  may  with  safety  be  intro- 
duced into  a  mine  depends  upon  the  amount  of  air  that  can  be 
mixed  with  the  exhaust  gases  in  the  most  unfavorable  portion 
of  the  run  of  the  locomotive.     For  each  cubic  foot  of  carbon 

Gasoline  Locomotives  in   Relation   to  the  Health  of  the  Miners.     Bulletin 
of  the  American  Institute  of  Mining  Engineers,  October,  1914,  p.  2607. 


48 


COAL   MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


monoxide  possible  to  generate  in  the  engine  there  should  be 
available  2,000  cu.  ft.  of  air  to  mix  with  the  exhaust  gases  if 
this  air  is  for  continued  breathing,  while  for  short  and  infre- 
quent intervals  the  proportion  may  rise  to  one  part  in  one 
thousand."     Table  14  gives  the  data  compiled  by  Prof.  Hood. 


Fig.    21.      Parting    at    mouth    of    room-entry 


In  no  other  district  in  Illinois  is  such  a  large  percentage 
of  fatal  and  non-fatal  accidents  caused  by  pit  cars.  Undoubt- 
edly one  reason  for  this  high  percentage  is  the  gob  alongside 
the  tracks.  Trip  riders  and  drivers  stumble  on  the  pieces  of 
shale  or  coal  lying  close  to  the  rails  and  fall  between  the  cars. 


MINING   PRACTICE  49 

A  comparison  of  the  percentages  of  accidents  caused  by  pit 
cars  in  Illinois  districts  is  as  follows: 


Mstrict 

Fatal 

Non-fa 

I 

16.6 

21.9 

II 

No  fatalities 

25.0 

III 

25.0 

0.0 

IV 

33.3 

45.7 

V 

10.7 

18.5 

VI 

23.7 

27.8 

VII 

24.2 

29.5 

VIII 

5.5 

27.1 

Table  15  gives  haulage  data. 

The  average  weight  of  an  empty  pit  car  is  1329  pounds; 
of  its  load  3458  pounds;  of  car  and  load  4787  pounds.  The 
percentage  of  total  weight  of  car  and  load  which  is  car  weight 
is  about  28.  This  is  the  relation  which  obtains  between  weight 
of  modern  steel  railroad  cars  and  total  weight  of  car  and  load. 
The  pressed-steel  railroad  cars  with  a  capacity  of  100,000 
pounds  weigh  empty  from  38,000  to  46,000  pounds. 

Track  gage  varies  from  24  to  42  inches,  averaging  36,  and 
rail  weight  on  the  main  entries  ranges  from  16  pounds  per  yard 
to  45,  averaging  28.  In  rooms  in  some  mines  wooden  rails  are 
used. 

Gathering  from  rooms  is  entirely  done  by  animals  in  the 
mines  examined.  Mules  are  used  in  all  but  one  mine  in  which 
gathering  is  done  by  ponies.  Mules  are  generally  stabled  un- 
derground and  are  kept  in  good  condition.  Their  ton-mileage 
is  not  determined  and  very  little  is  known  about  the  work 
performed  by  them. 

In  mines  working  on  the  semi-panel  system  partings  are 
made  on  the  room-entries  near  the  cross  entry  as  shown  in  fig. 
21.  No  trolley  is  carried  into  the  room-entry  and  the  locomo- 
tive does  not  leave  the  cross-entry  in  picking  up  its  load.  At 
one  mine  empties  coming  from  the  cage  are  lifted  to  grade  by 
an  automatic  steam  car  lift. 


50 


COAL    MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


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MINING    PRACTICE  51 

Ties  are  usually  of  white-oak  aud  on  the  main  haulage 
where  locomotives  are  used  have  the  dimensions  6  by  8  inches 
by  5  feet  and  on  the  secondary  haulage  1  by  6  inches  by  5  feet. 
At  a  few  mines  old  props  are  used  as  ties. 

The  construction  of  underground  stables  complies  with 
the  State  law.  The  stable  at  one  mine  is  lined  with  brick  and 
old  boiler  plates  are  used  for  ceiling.  The  provision  of  the 
State  Mining  LaAV  to  the  effect  that  no  light  with  an  unpro- 
tected flame  shall  be  taken  into  an  underground  stable  is  fre- 
quently Adolated  but  no  oftener  than  in  other  districts.  This 
provision  should  be  strictly  enforced  throughout  the  State. 

HOISTIXU 

In  District  IV  at  106  mines  cars  are  hoisted  from  the 
bottom  by  steam;  by  horses  at  43;  and  by  hand  at  90.  The 
moderate  daily  production  of  the  mines  of  this  district  and 
the  comparatively  short  hoists  require  neither  elaborate  ap- 
pliances nor  great  speed  of  hoisting.  Tin1  hoisting  equip- 
ment is  adequate  for  their  needs.  The  average  daily  produc- 
tion of  the  mines  examined  is  about  1200  tons  and  the  longesl 
hoist  570  feet.  As  the  mines  with  hoists  longer  than  300  feet 
have  a  production  of  less  than  800  tons  daily  all  of  the  coal 
mined  can  be  raised  to  the  surface  by  slow  hoisting.  Because 
speed  of  hoisting  is  not  essential  there  is  no  automatic  caging 
at  the  mines  examined.  The  size  of  the  average  hoisting  shaft 
is  71/2  by  I51/2  feet. 

At  slope  mines  hoisting  is  often  done  by  a  partly  balanced 
rope  on  a  two-track  incline  where1  the  weight  of  the  descending 
empties  assists  in  hoisting  the  loads. 

At  slope  mines  second-motion  engines  are  used  but  at  all 
except  one  of  the  shafts  a  first-motion  engine  hoists  the  cage. 
The  cylinder  size  varies  from  12  by  15  inches  to  24  by  36,  aver- 
aging 18  by  32. 

The  self-dumping  cage  is  used  at  11  of  the  mines  examined 
but  at  most  of  the  mines  in  the  district  the  operators  have 
purchased  the  platform  cage. 

Weighing  is  done  at  the  tipple  throughout  the  district. 

Table  10  gives  hoisting  data. 


52 


COAL    MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


Table  16. — Hoisting  data. 


60 

Hoisting  shaft 

Engine 

Drum 

6 
c 

T3   ■ £J 

bo  g 

^  0 

>  a 

< 

'a, 
g  bo 

CO 

.5 

Q 

ll 

CO 

6 

S  c 

-M     ° 
C/J   *  J 

Cylinder 
size  in 
inches 

U 

<o  ■>-> 

<V    (U 

bo  <L> 

a  .a 

25 

1200 

Yes 

185 

8  by  16 

Yes 

18  by  36 

5 

6 

26 

900 
550 

Drift 

27 

Yes 

170 

6y2  by  18 

Yes 

18  by  36 

6 

7 

28 

950 

Yes 

150 

8  by  16 

No 

14  by  20 

6 

8 

29 

1 100 

Yes 

185 

8^  by  15^ 

Yes 

18  by  36 

6 

6 

31 

32 

1200 

Slope 
Slope 

90 
68 

7  by  8 

No 

550 

6  by  12 

No 

12  by  15 

33 

1600 

Yes 

285 

8v£  by  16 

Yes 

24  by  40 

8 

354 

34 

650 

Yes 

200 

7  by  14 

Yes 

16  by  32 

6 

73/4 

35 

2/5 

No 

187 

8  by  16 

No 

12  by  15 

5/2 

4^ 

36 

2450 

Yes 

238 

0V3  by  19 

Yes 

24  by  36 

8 

6 

37 

2700 

Yes 

235 

10  by  16 

Yes 

24  by  36 

7 

5 

38 

1400 

Yes 

245 

7  by  14 

Yes 

20  by  36 

6 

2 

39 

2400 

Yes 

204 

10  by  20 

Yes 

22  by  36 

7 

3 

40 

700 

Yes 

270 

8  by  16 

Yes 

18  by  2>6 

6 

2 

41 

325 

No 

365 

6  by  16 

Yes 

16  by  24 

6 

8 

42 

750 

No 

570 

8  by  16 

Yes 

20  by  36 

8 

7 

PREPARATION    OF    COAL  53 


PREPARATION  OF  COAL 

This  district  was  among  the  first  in  Illinois  to  attempt  to 
remove  the  separable  impurities  from  coal  and  to  separate 
sizes.  Several  large  cities  are  located  in  the  district  and  the 
local  trade  for  domestic  purposes  has  always  been  and  still  is 
a  prominent  factor.  Fig.  22  shows  a  tipple  designed  for  hand- 
ling the  local  trade  and  shipping.  Those  mines  located  in  or 
near  cities  naturally  separate  the  coal  into  more  sizes  than  the 
others  and  for  this  purpose  several  of  them  have  installed  re- 
screening  plants.     A  typical  separation  at  a  mine  catering  to 


domestic  or  "wagon"  trade  is: 

Name 

Size  in  inches 

6-inch  lump 

Over  6 

3-inch  lump 

Over  3 

l^-inch  railroad  lump 

Over  1% 

6-inch  egg 

(  her  3;  through  6 

Nut 

Over  2 ;  through  3 

Pea 

( )ver  % ;  through  1% 

Screenings 

Through  % 

At  those  mines  which  do  not  have  a  local  trade  the  sizes 
commonly  made  are: 

Name  Size  in  inches 

Lump  Over  6 

Egg  Over  3;  through  6 

Nut  Over  1%;  through  3 

Screenings  (Steam)  Through  V/± 

Many  mines  ship  run-of-mine  coal  and  the  percentage  of 
the  total  production  thus  shipped  varies  from  l1/*  to  30. 

The  location  of  some  mines  near  cities  having  diversified 
manufactures  and  various  kinds  of  domestic  furnaces  leads  to 
particular  demands.    At  one  mine  30  per  cent  of  the  output  is 


54 


COAL   MINING   INVESTIGATIONS 


crushed  to  2-inch  size  for  use  in  distilleries.  At  another,  8- 
inch  lump  and  egg  are  in  demand.  Several  mines  make  a  nut 
through  l!/4  inches  and  over  1  inch  and  one  makes  a  "domestic 
lump''  over  3  inches. 

In  the  total  output  of  this  district  about  80  per  cent  of  the 
coal  is  larger  than  %-inch,  75  per  cent  larger  than  1  inch,  70 
per  cent  larger  than  1%  inches,  48  per  cent  larger  than  3 
inches,  and  25  per  cent  larger  than  6  inches. 


SP^rg 


Fig.    22.     Tipple  designed  for  local  trade  and  shipping 


The  impurities,  shale,  fireclay,  and  nodules  of  pyrites,  are 
separated  as  far  as  possible  at  the  face.  Where  fireclay  is  shot 
up  with  the  coal  the  separation  underground  is  comparatively 
easy  on  account  of  the  contrast  in  color.  A  further  picking  is 
made  at  many  mines  on  the  screen  and  car;  six  pickers  being 
employed  at  some  mines. 

Screens  are  of  various  types.  They  are  built  with  one, 
two,  and  three  decks  and  have  a  throw  of  8  to  12  inches,  mak- 
ing 75  to  80  shakes  per  minute.  At  one  mine  the  screen  is  split 
into  two  compartments  longitudinally,  each  division  being  five 
feet  Avide. 

Table  17  gives  data  on  coal  preparation. 

Power  is  usually  obtained  by  burning  slack  under  steam 
boilers.  The  largest  installation  at  any  mine  examined  is  750 
H.  P.,  the  moderate  outputs  requiring  only  moderate  horse- 
power. The  efficiency  of  these  power  plants  is  low.  From  3.2 
to  4.3  per  cent  of  the  output  is  burned  under  boilers  at  the 


PREPARATION    OF   COAL 


55 


surface  plant.  Good  combustion  under  boilers  is  obtained  at 
one  mine  by  the  use  of  steam  blowers  and  the  slack  burns  with 
no  clinkers.     Wasted  coal  ranges  from  0.5  to  0.7  per  cent, 

There  is  no  power  plant  at  one  mine.  Electric  power  is 
purchased  at  2%  cents  per  kilowatt-hour.  Three-phase  GO 
cycle  alternating  current  is  brought  to  the  plant  at  4000  volts 
and  there  transformed  to  275  volts.  The  installation  consists 
of  three  15  H.  P.  motors.  Alternating  current  is  reported  to 
be  less  satisfactory  for  haulage  than  direct,  but  by  using  an 
A.  C.  locomotive  a  converter  is  dispensed  with. 

Table  17. — Preparation  of  coal  for  market 


M-, 

Shaker 

screen 

^ 

Per  cent    of 

6 

O     r^     <U 

u  s  ^ 

tn  J*  rt 
1— 1   0    > 

CO     ^ 

cy 

total  output 

■5  w 

53 

1          <u 
rt  ...  Oi^j 
5   C   co  C 

-    u  . c 

1— 1        i— 

CO    t* 

ci    r 

CO    >- 

<v 
a 

s 

1/  to 

M  <u 

0'" 

0.5 

25 

Steel 

25 

6 

4 

76 

Rescreened 

68 

26 

Steel 

37/2 

8 

4 

80 

Neither 

70 

35 

-7 

Steel 

32 

8 

4 

78 

X  either 

7" 

5-' 

28 

Wood 

[2 

4 

82 

Rescreened 

75 

32 

29 

Wood 

-- 

4 
3 

76 

71 

-  > 

31 

W 1 

31 

7 

80 

Neither 

67 

20 

32 

Wood 

30 

6 

1 

80 

Neither 

OS 

20 

33 

Wood 

68 

8 

3 

7«S 

Rescreened 

75 

50 

34 

35 

Wood 

30 

6 

4 
3 

79 
80 

67 

25 

Wood 

36 

Neither 

36 

Wood 

i_> 

80 

Neither 

67 

33 

37 

Wood 

?'? 

[2 

3 

80 

Neither 

65 

30 

38 

Wood 

38 

6 

4 

76 

Neither 

39 

Steel 

15 

15 

3 

80 

X  either 

70 

32 

40 

Wood 

46 

4 

3 

80 

Neither 

71 

33 

4i 

Wood 

6 

75 

Rescreened 

7<> 

42 

Wood 

7 

Rescreened 

:l 

:'6,S   per   cent   over   2  by   21-inch   hoi 

Steel  tipples  have  been  Imill  ai  four  of  the  mines  exam- 
ined. Pig.  2:\  shows  a  typical  surface  plan!  in  the  district. 
Automatic  recording  I  rack  scales  have  been  placed  al  several 
plants  and  at  one  pi!  cars  are  weighed  <>n  automatic  scales 
which  weigh  each  car  and  prinl   the  weight  automatically. 


56 


COAL    MINING    INVESTIGATIONS 


PREPARATION  OF  COAL 


57 


In  a  few  instances  where  platform  cages  are  used  cars  are 
pushed  by  hand  on  to  a  revolving  cradle  and  dumped.  Box 
car  loaders  are  found  at  several  mines. 

The  surface  overlying  the  workings  is  owned  by  the  oper- 
ators at  some  mines  and  at  one  it  is  farmed,  and  corn  is  raised 
for  36  mules. 

Table  18  gives  surface  plant  equipment. 


Table  18. — Surface  plant  equipment 


6 

No.    loading 

tracks  beneath 

tipple 

No.    cars 

stored  above 

tipple 

Boilers 

Electric 

generators 

c 

s 

0 

5  f^ 
0  • 

B   <u 

<*>   CO 

£ 

M 

0 

> 

25 

2 

40 

5 

/CO 

90 

200 

250 

26 

3 

30 

0 

150 

250 

27 

4 

40 

3 

700 

70 

ICO 

250 

28 

4 

40 

3 

225 

[00 

150 

250 

2Q 

4 

23 

2 

250 

100 

100 

250 

3i 

4 

45 

6 

875 

90 

300 

250 

32 

4 

25 

3 

250 

90 

100 

250 

33 

2 

5o 

6 

750 

105 

150 

250 

34 

3 

35 

2 

250 

95 

50 

[25 

35 

3 

20 

3 

i/5 

80 

100 

225 

36 

3 

55 

5 

700 

90 

37 

4 

120 

5 

750 

90 

200 

250 

38 

3 

5o 

4 

600 

100 

150 

250 

39 

4 

100 

4 

600 

"5 

45 

125 

40 

4 

25 

3 

185 

80 

100 

250 

41 

2 

20 

4 

280 

80 

5o 

L5° 

42 

2 

iX 

4 

35<> 

1 10 

8 

no 

PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  COAL  MINING 
INVESTIGATIONS 


Bulletin  1. 
Bulletin  2. 
Bulletin  3. 
Bulletin  4. 


Bulletin  5. 
Bulletin  6. 

Bulletin  7. 
Bulletin  8. 

Bulletin  9. 


Bulletin  10. 
Bulletin  11. 
Bulletin  12. 


♦Bulletin  72. 
♦Bulletin  83. 


Preliminary  Report  on  Organization  and  Method 
of  Investigations,  1913.     (Out  of  print.) 

Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  VIII  (Dan- 
ville), by  S.  O.  Andros,  1914. 

A  Chemical  Study  of  Illinois  Coals,  by  Prof.  S. 
W.  Parr.     (In  press.) 

Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  VII  (Mines  in 
bed  6  in  Bond,  Clinton,  Christian,  Macoupin, 
Madison,  Marion,  Montgomery,  Moultrie,  Per- 
ry, Randolph,  St.  Clair,  Sangamon,  Shelby,  and 
Washington  counties),  by  S.  O.  Andros,  1914. 

Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  I  (Longwall), 
by  S.  O.  Andros,  1914.     (Out  of  print.) 

Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  V  (Mines  in  bed 
5  in  Saline  and  Gallatin  counties),  by  S.  O. 
Andros,  1914. 

Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  II  (Mines  in  bed 
2  in  Jackson  County),  by  S.  O.  Andros,  1914. 

Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  VI  (Mines  in 
bed  6  in  Franklin,  Jackson,  Perry,  and  Wil- 
liamson counties),  by  S.  O.  Andros,  1914. 

Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  III  (Mines  in 
beds  1  and  2  in  Brown,  Calhoun,  Cass,  Fulton, 
Greene,  Hancock,  Henry,  Jersey,  Knox,  Mc- 
Donough,  Mercer,  Morgan,  Rock  Island,  Schuy- 
ler, Scott,  and  Warren  counties),  by  S.  O.  An- 
dros, 1915. 

Coal  Resources  of  District  I  (Longwall),  by  G. 
H.  Cady,  1915. 

Coal  Resources  of  District  VII  (Counties  listed 
in  Bulletin  4),  by  Fred  H.  Kay,  1915. 

Coal  Mining  Practice  in  District  IV  (Mines  in 
bed  5  in  Cass,  DeWitt,  Fulton,  Knox,  Logan, 
Macon,  Mason,  McLean,  Menard,  Peoria,  Sang- 
amon, Schuyler,  Tazewell,  and  Woodford  coun- 
ties), by  S.  O.  Andros,  1915. 

U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  Occurrence  of  Explosive 
Gases  in  Coal  Mines,  by  N.  H.  Darton,  1915. 

U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines,  The  Humidity  of  Mine 
Air,  with  Especial  Reference  to  Coal  Mines  in 
Illinois,  by  R.  Y.  Williams,  1914. 


*Copies   of  this  bulletin  may  be   obtained  by   addressing  the   Director,  U.   S.   Bureau   of 
Mines,  Washington,  D.  C. 


